YuGiOh! Delta: Matt's Story
by Rebster6
Summary: In this story, Matt is introduced and his backstory is explained in full, including the reasons he became a Number hunter. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Episode 1: Matt's Story

_'Oh no, not again,'_ Matt thought to himself, glaring at his drawn card.

He was facing down an opponent named Hideo, whom he had faced once before… and it hadn't much of a challenge then either. Both players had an empty field, except for his opponent's Level Limit - Area B, which was locking out his monster's attacks. Matt had just begun his turn.

**Hideo LP:** 1800

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Level Limit - Area B

**Matt LP:** 2050

"I Normal Summon Dark Blade!" The monster appeared in a flash of purple lights, swinging its blade to clear them.

Dark Blade: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1500

"Hold up!" Hideo shouted. "Remember, all Level 4 or above monsters you control switch to Defence Position and have to stay there." Sure enough, Dark Blade sank down onto one knee and assumed the guard position.

"I'm aware, you've told me enough times," Matt retorted. "Next I activate the Spell Card Monster Reborn, to revive a monster from the Graveyard. Appear, Dark Blade the Captain of the Evil World!" A monster very similar to Dark Blade, only riding a horse and sporting a slight variation in its armour, appeared on the field in Defence Position.

Dark Blade the Captain of the Evil World: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1500

"No!" cried Hideo, suddenly realising what was about to happen.

"I disagree," said Matt calmly. "Both of my Level 4 monsters, Overlay!" Dark Blade and its counterpart morphed into fully purple likenesses of themselves, before distorting and shooting upwards. Where they had once stood, a bright red portal opened. "I use these two Warrior-Type monsters to construct the Overlay Network..." The two monsters flew into the portal. "Xyz Summon!" The portal exploded outwards, and a warrior garbed in a black cloak began to form within it. "Rise up, **Treason Blader**!" In one swift movement, the monster slashed aside the residue from the explosion, revealing a tall man in a pitch black cloak, carrying a sword with a blade that split into two parts halfway up, each part stylised to make it look as lethal as possible.

**Treason Blader: Warrior-Type/Xyz/DARK/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1400 – 2 OLU**

"**Treason Blader**, direct attack!" The monster immediately leapt forwards, his cloak flapping around him, and slashed Hideo straight down the centre of his body. Hideo uttered a cry and stumbled backwards.

**Hideo LP:** 1800 → 0

**Matt LP:** 2050 [WINNER]

A buzzer sounded to signify the end of the duel, before the remaining cards and monsters on the field dissipated and the augmented reality was removed. Matt took off his D-Gazer and cursed his luck.

From all around him came shouts and screams of delight, and the crowd that had been watching the duel surged inwards from all sides of the city square. They clustered around Matt, offering him their congratulations, praise, and general adoration. Even Hideo had run over to ask him for tips.

Matt truly couldn't stand it.

He knew exactly what people were like. They were just as prepared to hate him as admire him, and if he ever lost a duel, their praise would change to jeers in the blink of an eye. He wouldn't have minded that. In fact, nothing would've made him happier than to finish a duel without a ton of people descending on him, and he especially missed being able to have a quite duel where the whole town wouldn't come to watch. The problem was, he just couldn't stop winning. Whenever a duel started, his instincts would take over, like it did with everyone, and he would duel with all his strength. Which always had the same outcome.

He didn't really have any close friends, so at first he had enjoyed it when people started to see him as the popular kid once he'd won a few duels. It had been nice. Now it grated on him. He couldn't stand the way these people were showering him with praise that seemed genuine at face value, but really wasn't. He wished that he had a close friend that he could share these feelings and experiences with, but he didn't, which left him to deal with them completely alone. A lump rose in his throat, and he felt a sudden urge to get away from this crowd.

It took him over five minutes of pushing, excuses and apologies to excise himself from the crowd, whereupon he began his long walk home as the crowd dispersed. After a few minutes of walking and letting his mind and body wander, he found himself asking the same question he had for a while now.

_'Is my life going to be like this forever?'_

He dried his eyes and walked on.

*A FEW MINUTES LATER*

Matt was taking a different route home than he usually did, and ended up walking passed an abandoned children's playground. He stared at it for the longest while, for it was here that he'd had his first duel in this city after they'd moved here. It had been against his dad, and he had lost... badly. His dad was a strong duelist, but he now spent most of his time either at work or asleep at home. He didn't have time for Matt anymore. Matt didn't begrudge him for it, because he knew it was necessary, but it still made him feel even more isolated.

The playground was abandoned because a new one had been opened further down the road, but it still remained Matt's spiritual home... a sanctuary where he could sit and contemplate things without the fear of being interrupted.

He walked over to a bench at the edge of the playground and sat down with his back to the road. There, he began to think about all his recent duels, trying to decide if any of the opponent's he'd faced could be the ones to finally defeat him. To his reluctance, he had to admit that none of them came close. All he could do was keep searching.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and spoke into his ear, "Excuse me?".

Startled out of his thoughts, he leapt to his feat. _'Are they following me now? Can I not have one moment of peace in this accursed city?'_ Furious, he grabbed his bag and yelled "Get away from me!" to the two bemused figures behind him. Then without so much as a backwards glance, he stormed back to the road and headed home.

* * *

><p>Author-made cards:<p>

Treason Blader  
>Warrior-TypeXyz/DARK/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1400  
>2 Level 4 Warrior-Type monsters<br>If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; banish the destroyed monster instead of sending it to the Graveyard.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Matt got home it was almost dark, but without anyone at home to scold him for coming home late, he didn't really pay it too much attention. By this point he lacked the energy and willpower to do aught but the essentials, so he made himself dinner, washed and took himself to bed, doing his best to forget the events of the day.

*THE NEXT MORNING*

Matt woke up feeling that same slight hopefulness that he felt every morning – that maybe, just maybe, today would be a little different. He held that feeling all through breakfast, and continued holding it right up until he got to the front door. As he pulled open the door went to step out, something caught his eye. He groaned. Hideo was walking along the path just outside his house. Matt tried to close the door again quietly, but he was too slow.

"Hey, Matt!" Hideo shouted, leaping over the fence and running over to meet him. "How's it going, man?"

Matt cursed his luck. He couldn't catch a break. Things were just getting worse and worse. "Hey," he said, feigning enthusiasm as Hideo skidded to a halt in front of him.

"So, you heading to the park again today?" Matt nodded. "Awesome, we can walk there together! Oh, and while we walk, you can share some duel tips with me. And you can look through my Deck, and tell me what you think, and tell me how…" Matt was barely listening by this point. Moreover, he was trying to think of a way out of this conversation.

When Hideo paused for breath, he quickly cut in; "It's a great idea and all, but I'm not leaving just yet. I'm not finished getting re-"

"No worries, man!" Hideo beamed. "I'll hang around here until you're ready." Matt resisted the urge to slam the door in his face.

"No… I mean… I won't be ready for at least another twenty minutes," he said desperately. "There's really no point in you hanging around here for that long. You should head to the park and I'll see you there, ok?"

"Sure… I guess," Hideo said dejectedly. "I'll see you there." He turned around and began to walk up the path before whipping back round and shouting, "Hey Matt, you are going to be duelling again today, right?" Matt nodded. "Sweet!" he grinned. "See you in a bit!" With that, he hurried off, allowing Matt to finally shut the door.

And just like that, all the negative thoughts from the previous day came rushing back. He leant against it and gripped his hair with frustration.

"Why?" he muttered to himself, his voice shaking. "Why can't things be different… just this once… why?"

Outside the door, a breeze began to pick up.

"What did I do wrong?" The trees started to rustle. "Why have I been cursed to live like this?" The very air seemed to pulse with his words. "Why can't I share my life with anyone, like everyone else can?" The rustling grew louder. "Why… why can't I have a real friend?" The first tear pricked his eyelid "Why…"

Somewhere far away, a gate opened…

"WHY?"

_"All possibilities must be made equal."_

The space in front of Matt exploded outwards in a black shock wave, crackling with purple bolts of energy. Matt was thrown back against the door. He cried out and shielded his face as the explosion ripped apart the entire hallway. Vases shattered. Pictures fell. Cabinets splintered. The walls themselves were torn to shreds by the force of the blast.

And just as quickly, it was over. Matt tentatively opened his eyes and examined the scene. The blast had destroyed the entire hallway and most of the adjoining rooms. Even the ceiling looked close to collapsing, though for the moment it seemed stable enough. The air was full of dust, a fact that Matt found out moments later when he tried to take a deep, calming breath. He doubled over, coughing, and quickly pulled out a tissue to breathe through. Once his breathing had stabilised, his eyes drifted to the centre of the devastation.

The explosion – whatever had caused it – had blown a crater approximately four feet across in the floor. The sides of the crater still glowed an eerie purple colour, and seemed to pulse as wafts of air blew over it.

But it was the centre of the crater that drew his attention, because there was a card lying there.

Or at least, it seemed to be a card – it was completely blank. Matt stared it at, totally confused. _"It should've… did that card cause the explosion?"_ He tentatively reached forwards towards the card, but stopped with his fingers an inch away.

Something was fundamentally wrong about this card. It felt like it shouldn't be. It wasn't right. It didn't belong. He stared at it for the longest while, trying to work out what it was. And still the card lay there, inanimate, growing steadily dustier as the debris settled.

Then Matt reached forwards that last inch… and placed his hand on the card.

Immediately, Matt started to notice something. A 'pressure' had gathered on his chest and seemed to be trying to work its way into his body through his skin. It felt odd. He took his hand off of the card and clutched his chest, but the pressure remained, now worming its way into his heart. He collapsed onto his side and curled into a tight ball as the pressure grew greater. It truly felt as if something – or someone – was forcing its way into his very soul. It didn't hurt in that sense, but it was like a deep-seated presence, which felt as fundamentally wrong as the card itself.

The pressure increased. He gritted his teeth in discomfort. He could hardly breathe. His vision dimmed, and he curled up tighter still. He was vaguely aware of the card, which was pulsing in time with his heartbeat, and instead of the initial blankness it becoming darker and more defined with each pulse. But then all sense of his surroundings left him, and he fell.

He fell deep within himself, seeking refuge from the invasive presence. But there was no escape. The presence was everywhere. And now it was talking. Whispering. Screaming. Laughing. Crying. The voice was as omnipresent as the being that seemed to have forced its way into his mind and spirit. And it was asking:

_"What is it you want, Matt?"_

He opened his eyes. He was standing in a strange, totally black space. Opposite him stood a being of some sort. It seemed to be a tall man, dressed in a black robe and carrying a strange sword. And again it asked:

_"What is it you want?"_

In spite of everything, Matt considered the question. He wanted a friend, that much was certain. But there was more than that. He wanted to get rid of the accursed crowd that made his life a misery. He didn't want to hurt them, but beyond that he didn't care how he got rid of them. Surely anything was better than being constantly followed by these people.

The being seemed satisfied with that answer. He raised his right hand and pointed at Matt with great authority. _"In that case, take our symbol, and do as you will."_ Matt felt a sharp sting on the back of his right hand. Looking down at it, he saw the red glowing number 51 etched into the back of his hand. _"Use me as your tool, and carry out your will." _Matt looked back at the man… but the man had disappeared. _"Now go, and do as you will." _The world tilted.

Matt gasped and opened his eyes wide. He was still lying curled up on the floor. His muscles were cramped from being clenched so long, and he could taste iron in his mouth, but he felt… different. Everything about his perspective seemed to have shifted ever so slightly. He felt more assertive and confident. He felt as if he could accomplish anything he wanted. But more than that, he felt desire. The same desire he knew he had always had, but had never expressed itself so vividly up to now. The desire to finally rid himself of that crowd, once and for all. He could do it. He would!

He leapt to his feet, ignoring the complaints of his muscles, and walked over to retrieve the card. This time when he picked it up nothing felt unusual. He quickly glanced at its new form, taking in its stats and text, then placed it in his pocket. He then turned, grabbed his bag from where it had fallen, and pulled open the door once again.

He surveyed the landscape before him. It seemed very serene and peaceful, betraying nothing of the explosion that had ravaged his home only minutes ago. A grin split his face.

Today was going to be a day to remember. For everyone.


	3. Chapter 3

The park was already quite crowded by the time Matt got there. He stood by the gates, his D-Gazer already active, glaring around at all of the people dueling and spectating, trying to decide who he should enact his master plan on. He had no idea how he had never come up with such a plan before… now though, it seemed obvious. He attributed it to the card. The shift in his perspective it had created had allowed him to see many things that were once not so obvious to him.

His eyes were drawn to a particular duel, where Hideo stood duelling a girl with long brownish-blonde hair. Things were not looking good for him, as per usual.

**Hideo LP: **900

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

**? LP: **3400

"I Summon Yaksha," the girl said, causing a blue-skinned spirit with black spikey hair and a loincloth to materialise, shouting as it swung its blade.

Yaksha: Fairy-Type/Spirit/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1500

The girl grinned. "Yaksha's effect activates." The monster's sword began to glow. "When its Normal Summoned, I can return one card from your Spell and Trap Zone to your hand." Sure enough, the spirit swung its blade once again, sending a pulse of blue wind at Hideo's face-down, which flew back to his hand. "Yaksha, attack him directly!" Yaksha sped forwards and slashed for the third and final time, knocking Hideo over backwards.

**Hideo LP: **900 → 0

**? LP: **3400 [WINNER]

A claxon sounded, and the augmented reality dissipated. The girl removed her D-Gazer and walked over to the downed Hideo, offering him a hand to help him up, which he gratefully accepted. They exchanged a few pleasantries, then the girl bade him farewell, turned and made her way back through the crowd towards another guy with scruffy brown hair.

Matt paused for a few moments, watching the two of them, then started forwards towards where Hideo was still standing, having an animated conversation with the spectators about how he'd lost. He made it about halfway there when a man stepped across his path and stopped directly in front of him. He was dressed in a long white coat with a green trim, had grey straw-like hair, wore glasses, and was grinning at him.

Matt stopped and glared at him, daring the man to continue to stand in his way.

The man politely held out his hand. "Hello young man," he said in an oddly soothing voice. "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Professor Usur, and I'm very interested in strong young duelists such as yourself."

Matt looked at the man's hand, then resumed glaring at the man himself. "Well mister, unless you're actually here to duel me, I'm definitely _not_ interested in anything you have to say."

"I assure you, young man, I certainly have no intention of dueling you tod-"

"Then get out of my way!" Matt snarled, pushing past the man. The man made no attempt to stop him, but rather watched him for a moment, then slipped away into the crowd.

Matt shoved his way past people until he came up behind Hideo, and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey buddy," Hideo beamed as he turned round. "How's it going? Did you bring your Deck with you?" Matt nodded. "Sweetness! Then how about a quick duel?"

"Love to," said Matt impassively. "Just to warn you though, I have made a few alterations to my Deck that I'd like to try out on you, if that's ok."

"Definitely!" Hideo was practically bubbling with excitement by this point. "I'd glad I can be of assistance to you."

"So am I," Matt said flatly, then walked away a few steps to put an appropriate distance between them. As he prepared his duel disk and Deck, Matt thought over what he was doing. He was projecting all his hatred and frustration at his situation onto a single member of the crowd that was making his life so hard. He grinned.

_'By focussing all my anger onto Hideo,' _he thought to himself, _'I don't have to attack every single member of the crowd, but I can send a clear message to all of them.' _He turned to find Hideo already set, looking eager and cheerful, and Matt's hatred for him amplified even more.

"You ready, pal?" he called.

Matt's anger increased further. _'This friendly stuff, it isn't real. It's just blind admiration. He doesn't know a thing about me!'_

_"Then change his mind, Matt," _whispered the other half of his soul. _"Use my power, and show them all exactly how you truly feel." _Matt clenched his fist, and the number fifty-one flashed on the back of it briefly before fading again.

"I'm ready." He shouted back.

Hideo grinned. "Then let's go!"

"Duel disk, set!" Both player's triggered their duel disks, which were both the standard grey model. "D-Gazer, set!" Both of their D-Gazers, along with those of the people watching, flashed white as they linked.

_"AR Vision – link established" _The field morphed once again into the augmented reality, giving everything a virtual green hue.

"DUEL!"

**Matt LP: **4000

**Hideo LP: **4000

"You can start us off, Matt!" Hideo called.

Matt glared at him. "If you like. My turn, draw." He glanced at his hand. "I Summon Dark Blade." The monster rose up and took the battle-ready position.

Dark Blade: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1500

"I then Set two cards and end my turn." His face-down's appeared at his feet.

Hideo smiled at him. "Solid start, Matt, but I can beat it. My turn, draw." He drew his card, and studied his hand carefully before making his next move. "I activate the Spell Card, Level Limit – Area B!" The card appeared. "With this in play, all Level four or higher monsters on the field switch to Defence Mode and have to stay there." Sure enough, Dark Blade collapsed to its knees.

"Interesting... using Level Limit straight away this time, are we?" Matt said curiously.

"You betcha. Next, I Summon Marauding Captain." The famous monster materialised on the field.

Marauding Captain: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 400

"And when this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon an extra Level four or lower monster from my hand. Go, Zubaba Knight!" The second warrior took its place alongside the first.

Zubaba Knight: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 900

"Now, Zubaba Knight, attack Dark Blade! Zubaba sword!" The knight leapt forward and slashed Matt's monster straight down the middle, causing it to dissipate. "And then Marauding Captain, direct attack!" The captain jumped forwards even as Zubaba Knight jumped back. It raised its sword and smote Matt directly in the chest, causing him to stagger back slightly.

**Matt LP: **4000 → 2800

"That ends my turn. Top that!"

Matt rose back to his full height and glared at Hideo again. "I'll do more than that. My turn, draw." He drew and barely hesitated before making his next move. "I activate the Trap Card, Dust Tornado, to destroy your Level Limit Spell Card." The Trap card flipped up and let off an intense gust of wind, blowing away Hideo's Spell Card.

"Aw man," Hideo groaned, "I needed that."

"I Summon **Paladin of Eoseuleum – Kishi**!" A monster in a full suit of armour appeared. It was coloured black and white in swirling patterns, with a streak of dark orange on its left shoulder that resembled the shape of a flickering flame. It carried a longsword.

**Paladin of Eoseuleum – Kishi:** **Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000**

"And now I activate the Spell Card, Allure of Darkness. So I draw two cards, then banish 1 DARK monster from my hand." He drew his cards and considered for a moment. "I banish this card, then I'll bring it straight back again with my other Trap Card, Escape from the Dark Dimension." His other face-down card activated. To save time, he placed the monster straight onto his Duel Disk. "Rise up, **Knight of Eoseuleum – Na Ito**!" The monster that appeared this time bared a very close resemblance to the Paladin, including the same swirling patterns. The only difference was that the black and white colours were inverted, and the streak of orange was on its right shoulder.

**Knight of Eoseuleum – Na Ito: Warrior-type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000**

"Now go, Paladin and Knight! Attack Marauding Captain and Zubaba Knight!" The twin warriors moved forward together and hacked at both of Hideo's monsters, causing both to explode. Hideo took a step back from the impact.

**Hideo LP: **4000 → 3300

**Hideo LP:** 3300 → 3000

"Next up, I activate both of their effects. You see, they both have effects that add a certain kind of card from my Deck to my hand when they destroy a monster by battle."

"What kind of cards?" Hideo asked nervously.

Matt sneered at him. "With Knight's effect I can add any Eoseuleum card to my hand, which are the monsters of my Deck that annihilate all in their path. And with Paladin's effect, I can search any Candlelight card, which are the Spell and Trap Cards that will guide my army to victory. So with both of their effects, I add both **Hero of Eoseuleum – Eiyu** along with the **Guidance by Candlelight** Trap Card to my hand!" His Duel Disk extracted both cards from his Deck, and he placed them in his hand.

He stared at Hideo with hate-filled eyes. He could feel everything coming together perfectly, all the cards lining up exactly as he wanted them to. _'Just a few more turns. I can do it. I can rid myself of these people. I can do it.'_

And his new soul whispered back, _"We can do it, youngling."_

* * *

><p><span>Paladin of Eoseuleum - Kishi<span>  
>Warrior-TypeDARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000  
>If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Candlelight" card from your Deck to your hand.<p>

Knight of Eoseuleum - Na Ito  
>Warrior-TypeDARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000  
>If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Eoseuleum" card from your Deck to your hand.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Fact #1: The word Eoseuleum actually means 'twilight' in Korean. It was a tough choice between that and Santi Raksaka, which means 'keeper of peace' in a suprising number of languages. I eventually decided on Eoseuleum because it flowed better, and because I quite like the word.<strong>

**Fun Fact #2: All of the Eoseuleum's names are based on the first part of their name translated into the Japanese language. For instance, Hero in Japanese is 'Eiyu'. I know its not very original, but there it is. Also, 'Kishi' actually means knight, not paladin, but I liked that word better, and they mean close to the same thing, so I decided it was ok.  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Matt LP: **2800

**Paladin of Eoseuleum – Kishi:** **Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000**

****Knight of Eoseuleum – Na Ito: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000****

**Hideo LP: **3000

"With that, I set two more cards and end my turn." Matt's two new face-down cards appeared on the field.

Hideo's earlier cheer had gone, and he was starting to look uneasy. "My turn, draw!" He considered quickly before making his move. "I Summon Trident Warrior!" The monster took to the field with its three-pronged weapon.

Trident Warrior: Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200

"Next I'll activate its effect. When it's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one monster from my hand, but it has to be Level three. So I Special Summon... wait for it... Feedback Warrior!" Despite the dramatic pausing, the small warrior that appeared this time was quite underwhelming.

Feedback Warrior: Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 800/DEF 700

"And now I'll use this monster's effect as well. When its Normal or Special Summoned, it changes the Level of a monster I control to three. Obviously, I select Trident Warrior." Feedback raised its arm and emitted waves of sound that pulsed around Trident Warrior, causing its Level to drop.

Trident Warrior: Level 4 → 3

"And now, Level three Trident Warrior and Feedback Warrior, Overlay!" The two monsters turned into pure energy, coloured yellow and orange respectively, and shot upwards, clearing the way for a red spiral portal to open. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network... Xyz Summon!" As the two monsters flew in, the portal exploded outwards. "Come on out, Lavalval Ignis!" The fiery monster rose out of the explosion. It was wearing grey armour with patterns around its ankles that had a similar design to a rook from chess. Its arms and head were on fire, it bore a red cape, and it was orbited by two red Overlay Units.

Lavalval Ignis: Warrior-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 3/ATK 1800/DEF 1400 – 2 OLU

"Hmm," Matt said thoughtfully. "In all the time I've known you, I don't think you've ever managed to Xyz Summon during a duel against me."

Hideo smirked. "I aim to please. Next I activate the Spell Card Xyz Energy!" The card appeared on the field. "With this card, I can detach one Overlay Unit from Ignis to destroy one monster you control." One of Ignis' Overlay Units spiralled away from Ignis into the Spell Card.

Lavalval Ignis: 2 → 1 OLU

"I think I'll destroy your Knight of Eoseuleum!" The card began crackling with energy.

Matt burst out laughing. He continued to laugh as the Xyz Energy Spell gathered its power.

"Um, hey Matt, are you ok?" Hideo called. Matt's laughter only grew more derisive.

Hideo was starting to grow apprehensive. He had never heard Matt laugh before, as Matt had always chosen to remain calm and focussed during his duels. But this was different. There was an edge to Matt's voice that he had never heard before. It was a hard, razor-sharp edge that made even his laughter sound dark and cruel. Matt no longer had his previous calm, collected mannerism. Instead, he sounded much colder. And if he thought about it, he realised that Matt was treating him with a sense of contempt. He wasn't taking him seriously as an opponent.

Matt's laughter ended as abruptly as it began, and he resumed glaring at Hideo. "Now that wasn't smart at all," he stated flatly. "From my hand, I activate the effect of **Hero of Eoseuleum – Eiyu**! When my opponent activates a Spell Card, I can tribute 1 DARK monster I control to Special Summon this card from my hand." Xyz Energy finally launched a blast of energy at his Knight. "I tribute Knight of Eoseuleum!" The monster distorted and vanished, and the now-harmless blast of energy shot past where it had been and continued past Matt. Matt paid it no attention. "Appear, **Hero of Eoseuleum – Eiyu**!" Where the Knight had been standing, a new warrior rose up. This one wore much less armour, but still sported the same black-and-white patterns around its body. It carried a hand-and-a-half sword, and was far more muscular than either of Matt's previous monsters, but bore the same orange flame pattern as the other two on its helmet.

**Hero of Eoseuleum – Eiyu: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1600**

"2400 Attack Points?" Hideo cried in dismay. "Ignis can't take that down. Hmph... fine, I activate the Spell Card Heavy Storm, to destroy both your Set cards!" The card Hideo held up let off a huge gust of wind, destroying both of Matt's Set cards, **Guidance by Candlelight** and Mirror Force. "Nice, now I can attack without fear. Lavalval Ignis, attack Paladin of Eoseuleum!" Ignis' fist began to burn blue and red as it prepared to attack.

"1800 Attack Points versus 1900 Attack Points?" Matt said. "I think the heat of your own monster is getting to you."

"You think wrong," Hideo grinned. "I activate Ignis' effect. When it battles, I can detach one of its Overlay Units to give it 500 extra ATK until the End Phase!" Ignis' last Overlay Unit shot into the flames on its fist, causing them to burn even brighter.

Lavalval Ignis: 2 → 1 OLU

Lavalval Ignis: ATK 1800 → 2300

"You what?" Matt asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"You know it! Ignis, attack Paladin of Eoseuleum! Eruption punch!" Ignis' lunged forwards, its fist trailing flame, and struck the Paladin right in the centre of its chest. The monster gave an agonised groan, and exploded. Matt covered his face from the explosion.

**Matt LP:** 2800 → 2400

"How's that, Matt?" Hideo shouted, wearing a big grin. "I end my turn there."

Lavalval Ignis: ATK 2300 → 1800

Matt straightened up slowly. He glared at Hideo with such intensity that he wondered why Hideo didn't melt on the spot. He had truly never felt hatred like it. He felt like his blood was made of fire. And it wasn't just his own hatred. The 'thing' that had nestled in his soul was simmering with hatred as well. And it was willing Matt to go on. To do exactly what he had set out to do.

"That does it!" he shouted, causing Hideo to cringe with fright. His voice was even more frightening now. "I've had enough! No more playing around! I'm going to rip you limb from limb!" Hideo was practically cowering by this point. "It's my turn, draw!" He didn't even glance at his hand, but merely Summoned the monster he just drew. "I Summon **Soldier of Eoseuleum – Heishi**!" The monster that materialised this time wore black-and-white-patterned armour, but it was much more streamlined and stylised than the previous monsters. It also bore two swords instead of one. Finally, it had the orange flame pattern on the side of its right leg. It seemed to be the insignia of the Eoseuleum.

**Soldier of Eoseuleum – Heishi: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1400**

"And now, I'll use Soldier's effect. Once per turn, I can banish any number of Spell Cards from either player's Graveyard to increase its Level by one for each card banished. So then, how about I banish two Spell Cards from your Graveyard..." Level Limit – Area B and Heavy Storm shot out of Hideo's Graveyard "...and give my monster two extra Levels, that sound good?"

**Soldier of Eoseuleum – Heishi: Level 4 **→** 6**

An evil grin split Matt's face. _'It's all here. It's all perfect.' _He thought to himself.

"Two Level six monsters?" Hideo cried. "Does that mean-"

"It does. Level six Soldier and Hero of Eoseuleum, Overlay!" The two monsters shot upwards as purple energy, and where they had been, a galaxy-style portal opened. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network... Xyz Summon!" The two monsters flew into the portal, which exploded out. "Rise up, **Number 51: Dark Excalibur**!"

A dark-red fifty one etched itself onto the back of Matt's right hand. As this happened, a black mass rose out of the portal. It appeared to be a sphere of black metal, with wicked-looking spikes sticking out of the sides. Suddenly, streaks of red shot across the sphere in intricate patterns, and the sphere began to separate along those lines. Slowly, the sphere changed its shape, separating, reconnecting, and slowly changing into the likeness of a warrior in pitch black armour. It wore no helmet, and was outlined with a red glow, which only made the monster itself seem darker. The spikes from the sides of the sphere were now attached to its shoulders. The warrior stretched out its arms, its blood-red cape billowing out behind it, then reached behind it and drew its sword with a shout. The sword was split at the handle, so it appeared as two blades running up from the handle. The blade itself was covered with runes, and the red number 51 was barely visible on the front of its right shoulder. Its two purple Overlay Units circled it.

**Number 51: Dark Excalibur: Warrior-Type/Xyz/DARK/Rank 6/ATK 2800/DEF 2000 – 2 OLU**

"W-w-what the hell... is that thing?" Hideo stuttered, scared out of his wits by the immense presence of the Number.

Matt grinned, and his eyes flashed red. _'That's right,' _he thought, _'cower in fear. Today, I will burn away every ounce of hero-worship you had for me, and replace it with fear, with despair, and with pain!'_ "This is your end, Hideo!" Matt shouted at him. "This is the physical manifestation of all the emotions that you and so many others have inspired in me since the day I met you. This, Hideo, is me!" Number 51 raised its sword and let out a battle-cry in response.

Hideo was shaking with fear. The crowd around the duel took a step back, scared with what was happening to Matt.

Matt glanced around quickly, taking in the positions of Hideo, the crowd, and the nearest surrounding buildings. Then he looked straight back at Hideo, and ordered his Number to end everything. "Go, Dark Excalibur! Attack Lavalval Ignis! Crimson slash!" The Number leapt forwards and slashed at Ignis once, twice, three times, causing it to explode. The shockwaves that hit Hideo were different to the normal ones from a duel, and they knocked him backwards off his feet.

"GAAAHHH!" Hideo cried as he hit the ground.

**Hideo LP:** 3000 → 2000

"And now, Dark Excalibur's effect activates. By detaching one Overlay Unit when he destroys a monster, he can attack again!" Instead of retreating, Dark Excalibur remained towering over Hideo, as its sword absorbed one of its Overlay Units, causing the runes along its length to light up bright red.

**Number 51: Dark Excalibur: 2 **→** 1 OLU**

"W-wait... p-please..." Hideo whimpered, still cowering in the dirt, and staring up at the Number above him. Matt felt no sympathy for Hideo. Instead, he felt a savage joy for being able to hurt and frighten Hideo like this. But this joy wasn't like the other emotions he'd experienced. It didn't come from him. It came from the Number! The Number was sentient. And it was feeling joy at being able to cause harm to those that had made Matt's life a misery. Matt realised this even as he ordered the attack.

"Direct attack! CRIMSON SLASH!" Dark Excalibur raised its sword again. Hideo let out one final piercing scream of terror, before the monster slashed at him, causing an explosion of grass and dirt, and throwing Hideo far back. He landed heavily, groaning in agony.

**Matt LP:** 2400 [WINNER]

**Hideo LP:** 2000 → 0

The duel itself was over, but Dark Excalibur wasn't done yet. Ignoring the finishing claxon, it raised its sword yet again and slashed upwards, launching a pulse of black and red energy at the nearest building. As it hit, the side of the building exploded, raining debris across the whole park. People screamed and pushed, trying to get away from the area as the monster launched another pulse of energy at another building. Again and again it slashed, destroying all the nearby buildings and making it rain stone and glass.

None of it hit Matt, who stood motionless, surveying the scene in front of him. People ran and screamed. Some people tried to protect other people. Everyone was afraid. And again he heard the voice in his head saying, _"So how do you feel? You got exactly what we wanted; aren't you just so happy?"_

Matt wasn't so sure...

* * *

><p>Author-created cards:<p>

Paladin of Eoseuleum - Kishi  
>Warrior-TypeDARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000  
>If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Candlelight" card from your Deck to your hand.<p>

Knight of Eoseuleum - Na Ito  
>Warrior-TypeDARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000  
>If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Eoseuleum" card from your Deck to your hand.<p>

Hero of Eoseuleum - Eiyu  
>Warrior-TypeDARK/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1600  
>When a player activates a Spell Card: You can Tribute 1 DARK monster you control; Special Summon this card from your hand. This card is unaffected by Spell effects.<p>

Soldier of Eoseuleum - Heishi  
>Warrior-TypeDARK/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1400  
>Once per turn: You can banish any number of Spell Cards from either player's Graveyard; this card gains 1 Level for each card banished, until the End Phase.<p>

Number 51: Dark Excalibur  
>Warrior-TypeXyz/DARK/Rank 6/ATK 2800/DEF 2000  
>2 Level 6 monsters<br>This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. This card is unaffected by Spell effects. If this card destroys a monster by battle: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; this card immediately attacks again. While this card has no Overlay Units attached to it, you cannot activate Spell Cards.

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Fact #3: I was very hesitant to use Lavalval Ignis in this duel, because we originally wanted to use the Duel Terminal cards for a special mini-series. However, no other Rank 3 Xyz Monster seemed to be right for Hideo, so short of creating a new one, Ignis was our only option.<strong>

**Fun Fact #4: Yes, Matt is still a protagonist. Yes, I know he just destroyed part of a city and most likely injured quite a few people. That's just what Numbers do.**

**Fun Fact #5: The underline function in Document Editor never seems to behave itself. Has anyone else noticed that? Or is that just me?  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Matt slowly opened his eyes

He was lying on his back, but he couldn't remember how he'd got there. In fact, in his current state of semi-awareness, he couldn't remember a great deal of anything. As he flexed his arm, he felt something rough and coarse bursh against his fingertips. Closer inspection revealed it to be a jagged piece of stone. Matt frowned, wondering how it had got there. Wincing as his muscles shrieked in protest, he slowly pulled himself to his feet… and gasped at the scene of destruction surrounding him.

The entire park had been completely destroyed. Pathways had been cracked, the grass had been ripped up, benches and trees alike were splintered and ruined, and the entire area of the park was littered with jagged pieces of concrete and glass. Looking up, Matt noticed that all of the surrounding buildings had received just as much damage. The sides of the buildings had been completely torn apart, and he assumed that's where all the stone and glass had come from. The air itself carried a haze of dust.

Continuing to sweep his gaze around, his eyes fell upon an area a few metres away, which had a floating holographic image of himself, and a caption below it of "WINNER". It was fuzzy and kept erratically flashing on and off, as though it had malfunctioned.

Matt crossed his arms, wary of the sight... and found himself still wearing his active duel disk. Confused, but growing more apprehensive every second, he lifted his arm and looked at the interface display screen on the duel disk.

**Matt LP:** 2400 [WINNER]

**Hideo LP:** 0

And on the duel disk itself, there sat a single card... an Xyz Monster, one that he recognised. "**Number 51: Dark Excalibur**…" he muttered to himself.

He gasped as a flash of memory bolted through him, of this card – of Dark Excalibur – slashing again and again, sending of flashes of black and red energy, destroying buildings, ripping the park to shreds...

He fell to his knees as the memories began flooding back. The appearance of the Number, the duel, how he had lashed out at Hideo, and the subsequent destruction.

Matt covered his face. He couldn't believe he was the one who did this. It was beyond horrible. It was the worst thing imaginable. He had turned into a monster!

_'No…' _he thought to himself. _'No… it wasn't me that did this, it was the Number. Yeah, that card… it's the one that attacked Hideo. It's the one that caused this-' _Almost immediately after he started laying the blame, he began to feel better. But the Number wasn't having any of it.

_"Enough of that, youngling." _The voice reverberated in his head, causing Matt to freeze in place, fearful of what the Number would do next. Vaguely, he was aware of the red number 51 reappear on the back of his right hand. _"I won't have you lying to yourself like that. Yes, it was me that caused this destruction. But it was you that created me in the first place." _Matt shook his head, trying to deny it.

"No," he said out loud. "I never wished for any of this-"

_"Don't bother trying to justify yourself to me, youngling." _The Number retorted. _"I am you. And it was your emotions that gave me this form, and that drove me – that drove us – to seek this eventual goal. Now we have reached it, don't you feel happy?"_

Matt shook his head. "No... I never wanted to hurt anyone. Not ever. All this pain and destruction... this was your doing, not mine..." The Number started to get even more irritated, and the card on his duel disk began glowing an angry red colour.

_"What exactly are you trying to prove, youngling? That your actions were justified because I was the one who acted on _your _feelings? That you are in the right and I am not? BAH! All I did was bring your own feelings to the surface, and then acted on them in the way that was most likely to lead us towards our eventual goal: freeing you from that crowd. Have we not accomplished that?" _The Number did not wait for a response, but instead continued. _"You know as well as I do that we are both the cause of what happened. I am both the physical manifestation of your desires and a tool for you to wield. You wielded me in the correct manner and we succeeded in reaching our goal. Now, we must continue what we started today to ensure that you are left completely alone by those humans. Rest now, and we shall resume later." _With that, the voice in Matt's head silenced, the aura around the card disappeared, and the glowing symbol faded from the back of his hand.

Matt hugged his arms tightly to his body, suddenly cold despite the bright sunlight. Now he was truly afraid. He could deny it all he wanted, but he could not escape the simple fact... the Number was right. He was the one who had caused all this destruction, whether directly or indirectly, and he was solely responsible for it.

And even worse, it was clear that the Number wasn't through yet. The Number wanted to compel him to continue along this path of destruction, until it reached its goal of making Matt utterly and totally alone. And when would that end? When _could_ that end? With horror, he realised that this would also extend to his family. That he would end up attacking his own parents in order to reach the goal that he had ingrained into the Number. He couldn't face that. He couldn't forgive himself if that were to happen. But would he be able to help himself? In despair, Matt curled up into a tight ball, willing this all to end...

"Why hello again, young man."

Matt's eyes snapped open, and he quickly looked up at the source of the voice. Standing a little way away from him was the well-spoken man from before, the man who had identified himself as Professor Usur. Standing behind him was a girl with strikingly red hair, and a boy with black hair that was both shorter and neater than Matt's own style. Both seemed about his age. He pushed himself up onto one knee, and waited to hear what the Professor would say next.

"I was watching you duel from afar – very afar, as luck would have it – and I have to say, I'm deeply impressed by your performance. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to make you a proposition."

_"He's another one!" _Suddenly the Number's voice had returned, and it was furious. The number fifty-one once more etched itself onto Matt's hand, and Professor Usur shifted uneasily. _"He's another one of them… the crowd! The people who care nothing for you, only idolise your abilities! We must eliminate him like the rest!" _In spite of everything, Matt's emotions began to boil as they had before. He remembered the frustrations people like this man had caused him, and the pain of feeling isolated by them... and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to take down this man like he had done with Hideo. The number on his hand pulsed even brighter.

As if on cue, the boy behind Professor Usur turned to the girl and shouted "Now!" The girl leapt past the Professor, grabbed Matt by the right arm, and yanked him to his feet and straight past her. Before he could react, he was being held in an arm lock by his left arm, with his right arm being held away from his body. He struggled, trying to break the girl's grip, his furious gaze still fixated on Professor Usur. "Don't struggle," she said, and it vaguely occurred to him that he recognised the voice. "We're here to help."

The boy stepped forward and pulled a circlet of metal from his pocket. "Please calm down," he said as he approached Matt, who continued to struggle. "We're not going to hurt you." Without another word, he grasped Matt's right hand and attached the iron band to his wrist. There was a small stone set into the band which, the moment it came into contact with Matt's skin, lit up bright green.

As if a switch had been thrown inside him, the furious voice of the Number inside Matt's head vanished, and the glowing fifty-one on the back of his hand went out like a light. But more than that, the constant presence that Matt had felt in his soul since he received the Number greatly diminished. He could still feel it, but it was a mere shadow of the presence it used to be.

But the thing that Matt noticed the most was that the raging emotions that had ignited in his body mere seconds earlier had almost completely disappeared, leaving only a blank puzzlement as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

The red-headed girl released him without warning, and he staggered sideways before regaining his footing, still gazing intently at the strip of iron around his wrist.

"I'm very sorry we had to resort to force, young Matt," said Professor Usur, still gazing at Matt, "but that Number was set to attack us, and I couldn't take any chances."

"I... you... this..." Matt stuttered, struggling to find the right words. Eventually, he turned to the girl and said, "You... you're the one who tried to speak to me yesterday... the one who tapped me on the shoulder..."

"Yep," the girl said cheerfully.

Then she slapped Matt across the face, hard.

Matt cried out and staggered backwards, clutching his stinging face. He looked up at her incredulously. "What the hell was that for?"

The girl clutched her hand; she seemed to have hurt herself a little. "The moment I tapped you, you jumped up and shouted "GET AWAY FROM ME", then ran for it. That was really rude of you! We only wanted to see if you were alright!"

"Sorry!" Matt gasped, staring from the girl, who now seemed slightly ashamed for hitting him, to the boy who was doubled over laughing at the pair of them, and to the Professor, who still stood there impassively. Suddenly serious, Matt held up his hand and addressed Professor Usur. "What is this thing?"

"That is technology developed by me to cancel out the negative effects that a Number has on a human," he stated simply.

"Negative effects?" Matt queried.

"Yes," he replied. "It seems you are slightly confused, I'll explain. The Numbers amplify the desires of humans, to the point where they become obsessed and consumed by them." Suddenly, things started to make sense to Matt. That sounded like exactly what happened to him. "On top of that, they are sentient, and seem to take refuge in a person's soul when they choose a host." This too made sense to Matt, and he started to believe that he wasn't alone in this after all.

He glanced around at the girl and the boy – who had finally managed to control his laughter – and asked them "And who are you two?"

"These two are James and Katie, two people I found before I found you, young Matt."

It was then that Matt's eyes drifted to Katie's hand, around which was wrapped a band of metal identical to his. "That band!" He gasped, pointing to it. "Does that mean... you..."

Katie glanced at her wrist, then smiled and pulled a card out of her pocket. This one was also an Xyz Monster, but a different one to Matt's. Its name was **Number 91: Flarestormer**.

"Yep, we both have Numbers," said James. As Matt turned to face him, James too pulled out a card. This one was different as well, **Number 73: Matrix Gardna**. "We went through pretty similar problems to you Matt... though not on this scale, of course." He gestured around at the remains of the park.

Matt bowed his head, ashamed.

"I understand how upset you must be feeling, young Matt," said Professor Usur. "However, you have the opportunity to make this right again. To give something back to the society you lashed out at."

"Really?" Matt said, unconvinced. "How's that then?"

"By taking Numbers away from other people, to ensure they do not go through the same things as you." Matt looked up at him, confused. "That device on your wrist, restricting the Number's influence is not its only function. It also has the ability to extract the Numbers from those its holder defeats in a duel."

"In other words," James said, "if you defeat a duelist who's using a Number, that device will take the Number from him and give it to you. The original holder won't be harmed at all."

"We'll be working alongside you," Katie added. "We've made it our task to get all the Numbers away from people to stop them causing any more harm. We can do it as a team."

Matt stared at the thing on his wrist in awe. Was it really true? Did he really have the chance to right the wrongs he'd caused? If he did, how could he say no? He nodded enthusiastically and the three of them smiled with approval. Then a thought occurred to him. "Hang on… why are you making me this offer? Why didn't you just challenge me to a duel and extract the Number from me?"

"For two reasons." Professor Usur said. "Firstly, you are an incredibly powerful duelist, and I did not believe that we could defeat you. Secondly, because Numbers can only be beaten by other Numbers – which means that if we had removed your Number, you would've had no way to defeat those who did have Numbers, and as such I wouldn't be able to enlist you."

"But isn't it risky, leaving the Number in me?" Matt asked nervously.

"As long as you do not remove the band, you have absolutely nothing to fear from the Number anymore." Professor Usur smiled, and reached out a hand to Matt. "Come now, young Matt. There are two more people I want to find, then we can get to work ridding the world of these Numbers." He turned and walked away.

Matt hesitated, then started walking after him, with James and Katie walking just behind him. Despite everything, he felt a lot better, as if a sense of purpose gave him strength. And what a purpose it was. Removing the Numbers from those like him… it felt like exactly what he should be doing, to try and right his wrongs, to make up for everything he's done. To make the world a better place.

By eliminating the plague known as the Numbers.

* * *

><p><strong>And thus ends Matt's introduction, plus the first appearance of James &amp; Katie. The remaining two protagonists, Dan &amp; Leah, will now begin posting their introductions until they're finished, then we will proceed to Chapter 2. Peace out.<strong>

**Fun Fact #6: James will actually duel very little (maybe once or twice) during this series, due to him being not that fussed.**

**Fun Fact #7: Yes, James and Katie are in a relationship. This will become more apparent if they ever get round to writing their introductions, but don't hold your breath.**


End file.
